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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. J. HUBNER 8v R. RATHOFF-SGHMIDL VON SBEBERG.

CARRIAGE TOP. A

No.509,472. A PatentedNov.28,1893.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. J. HUBNER & B. RATHOPF-SGHMIDL VON SBEBERG.

CARRIAGE TOP.

. No. 509,472. Patent ed Nov 28, 1893.

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UNTTEE STATES PATENT EETEE.

ALOIS J OI'IANN HUBNER AND RUDOLF RATHOFF-SCHMIDL VON SEEBERG, OFVIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

CARRIAG E-TO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,472, dated November28, 1893. Application filed June 1, 1893. Serial No. 476.287. (Nomodel.)

To a. whom it'maly concern:

Be it known thatwe, ALOIS J OHANN HUBNER and RUDoL RATHOFF-SOHMIDL VONSEE BERG, subjects of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary, residing atVienna,in the Province of Lower Austria, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Raising and Lowering Folding Carriage-Tops; and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exaot'description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked ghereon, whichform a part of this specificalon.

Our invention has for its object the provision of means for raising andlowering carriage tops from the drivers seat, as will now be fullydescribed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal Vertical section of a carriage illustratingthe application of our invention. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view ofthe drivers box illustrating the operating mechanism in elevation, andFigs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

As shown in Fig. 1, a curved guide bar a, concentric with the axis ofrotation of the carriage top hinge h is provided, that serves as a guideand supporting track for the rollers 19', 1), Figs. 1 and 3, mounted atthe outer end of a correspondingly curved arm 19 secured to the upper orouter stay or brace c of the carriage top T, said arm being guided in asuitable sleeve 19 on the carriage body. The curved bar b carries at itsouter end in rear of rollers b a cord or chain pulley f, and in rear ofsaid pulley f is arranged a stop lug or pin a adapted to engage the freeend or arm of a spring d also secured to the carriage body so that whenthe carriage top is nearly raised to the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1 the lug engages the free end of and compresses the spring. Theobject of this arrangement is to provide a means whereby the carriagetop, that is to say its outer or front stay or brace c is automaticallythrown back beyond the dead center of its pivotal connection h so as tocause the top T to automatically collapse, the connecting rods 1) forthe stays or bows c c if such are used being made in sections hingedtogether at points intermediate of said stays, as shown in said Fig. l.A cord or chain C, one end of which is secured to the carriage body at asuitable point, as at 0 Fig. 1, passes around the chain pulley f, thenceover a guide pulley g proximate to the point of attachment and from thelast-named pulley under a series of guide pulleys g mounted'in thecarriage body, to the drivers box where the opposite end of said cord orchain is secured to a winding drum j that is connected through themedium of a multiplying gear with a toothed sector lever whose toothedportion is is in gear with the driving wheel for said multiplying "ear.b In the front panel of the drivers box B of the carriage is formed avertical slot to which is secured a slotted plate m Fig. 4, the innerface of one of the vertical sides of which is constructed in the form ofa toothed rack m. The lever 7r, has pivoted thereto a spring-actuatedlocking arm or pawl 1' adapted to engage the teeth on rack face 'm', asshown in said Fig. 4:. When the parts are in the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 1 and the lever 70 is depressed, the winding drum j willbe revolved to wind up the cords or chains G, thereby drawing the curvedarms I) upward, whereby the carriage top is raised as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1, and the spring (1 placed under tension. If the lockingarm or pawl is now released from the drivers grasp it will engage one ofthe teeth in the plate m and hold the carriage top in its raisedposition.

In order to lower the carriage top all that is necessary is to grasp thelever and its looking arm, press the latter against the tension of itsspring toward said lever to disengage the arm from the rack, after whichthe lever is lifted to the upper end of the slot in the plate m,revolving the multiplying gear in an opposite direction, the spring d atthe same time exerting its power to move the outer stay 0 beyond thedead center of its axis of rotation, the top T then falling back of itsown weight, and the chain or cord 0 unwinding from drum j, the partsassuming again the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

In practice the mechanism hereinabove described, except the multiplyinggear is duplicated, that is to say, there is a set of said devices oneach side of the carriage body, While the power transmitting gearj ofthe multiplying gear is fast on the shaft it that carries the twowinding drums j.

Although we have shown the cords or chains C as connected at one endwith the. carriage body, it is obvious that they maybe connecteddirectly with the lifting bars at a suitable point, as for instance, atthe point where the pulley f is located.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a revoluble stay of a vehicle top, a lifting barconnected thereto, and a spring adapted to be compressed and broughtunder tension by said lifting bar, of a lever operated winding gearlocated in the drivers box or seat and a flexible connection betweensaid gear and the lifting bar operating to move the latter against thestress of the spring.

2. The combination with. a revoluble stay of a vehicle top and a liftingbar connected with said stay, of alever operated multiplying gear, awinding drum adapted to be revolved thereby, and a flexible connectionbetween said drum and the lifting bar.

3. The combination with a revoluble stay of a carriage top, a curvedlifting bar secured to and concentric with the axis of rotation of saidstay, said bar provided with two rollers, and a correspondingly curvedfixed rail or track extending between the rollers, of a winding gear anda flexible connection between said gear and the lifting bar.

4. The combination with a revoluble stay of a carriage top,a curvedlifting bar secured to and concentric with the axis of rotation of saidstay, said bar provided with two rollers said stay and provided with acord or chain pulley at its free end and with an abutment or lug, and aspring in the path of said abutment, of a winding gear located in thedrivers box or seat and a flexible connection between the winding drumof said gear, the carriage body, and the chain pulley of the liftingbar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ALOIS JOHilNN HUBNER. RUDOLF RATHOFF-SCHMIDL V. SEEBERG.

Witnesses:

EDMUND J ONES, A. ScHLnssINe.

